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This past January, it was officially announced that a new TTRPG was in development based on the popular Elden Ring video game franchise. Entitled the Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG, as the name suggests, the tabletop variant is based on the Nightreign spin-off video game released in 2025. It’s being developed by Japanese tabletop game maker Group SNE, who is best known as the creators of the Sword World game system, which remains arguably the most influential TTRPG in Japan.
We now have confirmation that the new Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG will be coming out in June 2026. Unfortunately, for most of us in the West, there’s just one problem: it will only be appearing in Japanese.
It’s also worth noting that this actually isn’t the first Elden TTRPG. In fact, a Japanese-only version was also created by Group SNE back in 2023 and has since been sold out and not translated into any other languages. This new Nightreign variant, however, does not appear be an expansion of the original Elden Ring pen and paper rules and instead will be its own separate system. Below, we take a closer look at everything we know so far.
What is the Elden Ring video game series about?
If aren’t already familiar with Elden Ring, it’s an action RPG video game created by Japanese developer FromSoftware (the studio who essentially birthed the “Soulslike” genre with Dark Souls and Bloodborne). First released in 2022 for the PlayStation, Xbox and PC, the game quickly became a global hit, winning numerous Game of the Year awards and selling millions of copies worldwide.
The game is best known for its extremely deadly combat, customizable RPG mechanics, massive open-world design and intricate lore (the latter of which was co-created by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin).
The original game is set in the Lands Between, a realm governed by Queen Marika the Eternal and wielder of the titular Elden Ring. After the Ring was shattered by Marika, its fragments (known as Great Runes) were claimed by her demigod children, leading to a devastating war called The Shattering. Players take on the role of a Tarnished, an exile called back to the Lands Between to retrieve the runes and repair the Ring. The narrative is famously cryptic, requiring players to piece together the history of the world through item descriptions, environmental cues and rare NPC interactions.
Following the success of Elden Ring, the series expanded with the critically acclaimed expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree in 2024, which explored the mysterious Land of Shadow. Most recently, the franchise branched out into new territory with Elden Ring Nightreign, a 2025 multiplayer-focused spin-off. Unlike the first game and its expansion, Nightreign introduces a roguelike structure where teams of “Nightfarers” must survive three brutal nights of combat against spectral horrors and boss-tier “Nightlords.” Beyond the digital world and the upcoming tabletop RPG, Elden Ring has also spawned a massive amount of lore-heavy media tie-ins, including orchestral soundtracks, art books, action figures and a reported live action film.
What is the original Elden Ring TTRPG about?
The original Elden Ring: TRPG was first released in 2023 by Japanese tabletop game publisher Group SNE and designed by industry veteran Hironori Kato. The game uses a somewhat rules light 2d6-based system that’s designed to emphasize improvisation, rather than crunch, while still providing a high level of lethality that’s common to Soulslike video games.
As a system, it was divided into three separate books that collectively form over 624 pages.
- Book 1 (Rules): The fundamental mechanics and systems required to navigate and survive the world.
- Book 2 (Skills and Sheets): A player-focused volume detailing various abilities, equipment and character sheets.
- Book 3 (Enemy & Scenario): A dedicated guide for Game Masters, featuring a bestiary of foes and pre-written adventures.
It’s worth noting that in Japan, gamers use the term “Tabletalk Role-playing Game” (TRPG) instead of the “TTRPG” (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) acronym adopted in the West, so this verbiage is carried over into the title Elden Ring: TRPG.
What is the new Elden Ring Nightreign TTRPG about?
The new Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG will be published by Group SNE with content written by Hironori Kato and cover art by Jun Suemi (both of whom also worked on the original Elden Ring TRPG).
Mechanically, the game does not appear to be an expansion of original three-book pen and paper Elden Ring RPG, but rather will be its own unique system (although this has not yet been confirmed).
Notably, the new game was first announced in January 2026 in the pages of Warlock Magazine (the official Japanese print publication of Group SNE). More recently, an article published in April 2026 by Japanese video game magazine Famitsu, provided a few more details on what to expect, linking to a Twitter/X post that showed the new cover.
When will the Elden Ring TTRPG be released?
The Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG will be available in Japan on June 19th, 2026. It’s not yet clear, however, if English or other localized versions will also be released in the future (although given the popularity, it seems highly likely).
Notably, we have seen other Japanese video games turned into TTRPGs and then translated into English (including Dark Souls and Octopath Traveler). This can, however, be a laborious process due to translation, layout, distribution and copyright law, so it’s possible we may have to wait sometime before we see it here in the West. In fact, it’s worth noting that after almost three years, the original Elder Ring TRPG has not yet been translated from Japanese and distributed globally.
Why we’re excited about an Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG
- A faithful adaptation: Transitioning a Soulslike video game to the tabletop is a difficult feat, and we’re excited to see if the Elden Ring Nightreign TTRPG can capture that signature lethality where every choice and every roll could be your last.
- Unique dark fantasy lore: The world-building of Elden Ring was famously crafted in collaboration with George R.R. Martin. Having a dedicated rulebook feels like the chance to dive even deeper into the the lore of Lands Between and the Nightreign era.
- The design team: Group SNE is a legend in the Japanese TTRPG space, with the company’s Sword World RPG famously dethroned Dungeons & Dragons as the most popular tabletop game in Japan. The company also has a solid track record of converting Japanese video games into TTRPGs, having created variants of Dark Souls and Armored Core.
- Incredible artwork: From some of the early illustrations that have been leaked online, plus the past artistic track record of Group SNE, chances are the book will be as much about the art as it is the game.
Final thoughts
Elden Reign feels like a natural choice for a tabletop RPG expansion (and in fact, is clearly heavily influence by the genre), so it makes sense that we’d see titles like Elden Ring Nightreign TRPG.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and our fingers crossed that we see an English language version soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about the upcoming game in the pages of Issue #21 of Warlock Magazine.